Shasta County Biographies
WILLIAM JEFFERSON VOLLMERS
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
William Vollmers was born Sept. 8, 1858 in Weaverville. His father, Otto was in
Trinity County in 1850 but returned to Hamburg to marry Catherine Helle. They
made the trip around Cape Horn from Germany. Becoming a father may be the reason
Otto gave up mining and became a hotel owner.
William attended the local school and then was sent to McClure's Academy in San
Francisco to finish his education. As the oldest child he assisted in running
the hotel while he worked as copier at the Courthouse. He tried mining, banking
and spent a year as Postmaster. About the time of his marriage he became a
partner in the hotel in Trinity Center.
Lucy Jane Allison was born at French Corral, Nevada June 9, 1859, but her family
soon moved to Trinity Center. She attended the local school and Mills Seminary
(College). March 27, 1881 she and William Vollmers were married. They spent
their lives building a future for their six children:
Arleto b. 1881 d. 1965 m. Gus Peterson
Otto b. 1883 d. 1967 Never married
Alberta b. 1885 d. 1982 m. Tom Petersen
William Jefferson b. 1887 d. 1960 m. Irene VanMatre
Adelia b. 1890 d. 1978 Never married
Shelby b. 1895 d. 1956 m. Sarah Ruth Miller
The children were raised in and around the Trinity Center Hotel and attended the
local one room school. The oldest two were sent to Sacramento High School but
both were brought home when Otto had pneurnonia Arleto wouldn't have a
chaperone. When he recovered, Otto managed the cattle on the family ranch.
Alberta attended Etna High School and then U. C. Berkeley. In 1906, William sold
both his interest in the Bonanza King Mine and his hotel. The "06 Earthquake"
cancelled his plans, so the family moved to Berkeley where Adella followed
Alberta through U.C. and Shelby attended McKinley High School in Berkeley.
Four years later, when they decided to come north, the Autenreith ranch was for
sale and became home for the family and Vollmers' Summer Resort. All of the kids
returned but Otto and Shelby never left. Otto managed the cattle and farming --
the most and the best strawberries in the world -- plants and fruit. The smithy
became a Service Station.
Lucy died August 24, 1917, after several years of declining health. William
remained in the store until 1924 where Shelby joined him. He was fatally burned
Sept. 8, 1928 when a can of gasoline exploded at his feet. William and Lucy are
buried in Redding Cemetery.
Source: Shasta Historical Society - Nov 2002